Persons with a valid VOLÁNBUSZ ticket or pass, or with a document proving entitlement to travel free of charge, as well as an additional intercity ticket in the case of bus lines classified as requiring a surplus charge. Discount tickets and passes are valid only upon presentation of the certificate or document proving eligibility.

Passengers are required to buy tickets in advance at all high-traffic bus stations in Pest County with ticket and pass offices. Suburban and regional lines can be used only with a ticket or pass purchased at a ticket office or ticket machine. Tickets for national bus lines can also be purchased on the bus.

Tickets and passes for domestic travel can be purchased during office hours at our ticket offices, ticket machines, partners selling tickets and/or passes, on buses, and, for certain national lines our ticket sales website.

Valid tickets for our international lines are available at theNépliget ticket office, on our website, at our partners, and at bus drivers.

Additional information on the office hours of our bus stations and ticket offices is available here: bus stations

Additional information in connection with ticket purchases is available here: ticket purchases

Passengers must board all VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt. buses at the front doors. On national lines, bus drivers first call passengers with reserved seats, followed by passengers with passes, and finally those passengers who are purchasing their tickets on the bus.

At VOLÁNBUSZ, passengers travelling with small children, expectant mothers, the blind, and the handicapped are given priority when boarding, as far as possible.

In the case of bus lines where passengers are not allowed to stand, the number of seats on the bus determines the number of passengers permitted to board.

By purchasing a ticket at a ticket office or on the internet, you reserve a seat on our lines. Seats can be reserved depending on the number of available seats.

In addition to a ticket, passengers have to purchase additional intercity tickets for bus lines that provide passenger transport services subject to surplus charges.

Additional information on the costs of additional tickets for the specific bus lines is available here: ticket prices.

Passengers who purchase a ticket for a suburban or regional line may travel on a given section in a specific timeframe, either on one occasion or on a round trip; passengers who purchase a ticket for a national line with the reservation of a seat may travel at a given time with the conditions specified by the ticket, either on one occasion or on a round trip. Passengers eligible for discounts may receive 50 % or 90 % discounts on national, regional, and suburban lines. More information is available here: ticket prices

Tickets for local lines can be purchased in blocks of 10 in the cities participating in the given program. After they are validated, tickets sold in blocks are only valid if they are kept in the block in which they are sold: removing a ticket from the block invalidates the ticket. Additional information on ticket prices for local lines is available here: ticket prices for local lines.

You can purchase your ticket before your journey. In fact, we strongly recommend doing so. Tickets can be bought up to 30 days before the day you plan to travel at ticket offices and 2 weeks beforehand at ticket machines, by specifying the validity period or the specific line, as applicable.

Ticket machines sell only tickets for the suburban and regional lines operated by VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt.

Please note that tickets for certainnational lines can be purchased only at ticket offices and via the internet.

No. Pre-purchased tickets are valid until the time indicated on the ticket, so they may in no case be used at an earlier time.

VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt. will be happy to reimburse you at the pre-purchase ticket offices for a pre-purchased ticket before the departure of the given bus. We charge a handling fee for returns. In case of tickets purchased online, you can start the return process on the website before the departure of the given bus.

For more information, see: ticket prices

Depending on the frequency of the buses on the given line, tickets for suburban line are valid for 1 or 2 hours, as indicated with minute accuracy on the ticket.

Tickets have to be kept for the entire duration of your journey, as our ticket inspectors may check them at any time.

MAESTRO, MASTERCARD, VISA, VISA Electron and V-Pay-based bank and credit cards can be used at ticket offices, ticket machines, and certain buses equipped with bank card terminals.

Tickets can be purchased online only with MASTERCARD, VISA, and VISA Electron embossed cards and with WEB-cards.

However, we do not accept loyalty cards issued by other merchants and service providers for collecting loyalty points.

We can provide an invoice when you purchase a ticket at a ticket office or from a bus driver, so please make sure to ask for an invoice when making your purchase. VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt. is unable to issue invoices subsequently for purchases made at ticket offices.

If we were unable to provide an invoice when the purchase was made, passengers may request, within 15 days of the purchase, that an invoice be issued for a ticket purchased from a bus driver, by presenting the ticket to a ticket office. Invoices can also be requested electronically, in which case we will mail you the invoice.

We can also issue subsequent invoices for tickets purchased from ticket machines at bus stations and on the internet. The condition for the issuance of a subsequent invoice is the presentation of the ticket purchased from the ticket machine or over the internet. The deadline for issuing the invoice is the last day of the month in which the purchase was made, but no later than the 5th workday after the journey.

Invoices for discount tickets and passes can be issued only to natural persons, education institutions, and the operators of education institutions. In the case of education institutions and their operators, invoices can be issued only for the discount travel documents purchased for the travel of the children or students in a contractual relationship with the institution, about which the customer has to issue a statement on the VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt. form separately for each invoice.The form is available here; we are unfortunately unable to accept any other forms or statements.

Drivers check tickets and passes for the given bus line, as well as the documents proving eligibility for discounts, upon boarding. You also have to present these documents to any ticket inspectors.

What do I have to pay attention to when purchasing a ticket on the bus?

Discount tickets and passes can be purchased from the driver only upon the presentation of the documents proving eligibility for the discount. If these documents are not available, you may purchase only a full price ticket.

Drivers are not obligated to make change or break large bills, so please make sure you have bills suitable for paying your ticket.

Ticket inspectors are obligated to perform their work while wearing a photo ID and unique identifier for the purposes of identifying themselves. These IDs are used to identify ticket inspectors.

Ticket inspector ID

• a copy of the document filled out and signed during the inspection, which includes the passenger’s data and the reason for the fine,
• 1 cheque for the fine,
• 1 cheque for the ticket,

(If the fine and the ticket are paid to the ticket inspector, the ticket inspector issues a cash invoice.)

When issuing fines, ticket inspectors will confiscate any tickets or passes used to prove the irregularity, as well as travel documents and discount eligibility documents (e.g. MÁK card) that are damaged, transferred, have been modified, or are of questionable origin.

30 days from the time the fine is imposed.

The amount of the fine increases if it is not paid within 30 days.

If the fined person submits a written request within 30 days of the fine, we provide a possibility for paying the fine in 3 instalments, without any handling fees.
If the request for payment instalments is submitted after we have sent a request for payment, we will also charge an additional amount of HUF 1,750 as a handling fee in addition to the costs of the payment request, which the passenger will have to pay together with the instalments.
Requests for payment in instalments can be submitted to:

VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt.:
By mail: Utaskapcsolat [Passenger Relations] 1091 Budapest, Üllői út 131.
By email: info@volanbusz.hu

• in person or with a letter of authorisation
• by submitting legible copies of the necessary documents by mail,
• by submitting legible copies of the necessary documents by email. (Due to technical reasons outside the control of VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt., emails from freemail and citromail addresses are not supported, meaning we might not receive emails from these addresses.)

• if you did not buy a ticket,
• if you are unable to present a valid travel document and any necessary documents providing proof of eligibility for discounts when asked by a ticket controller,
• if you use any travel documents or discounts that you are not entitled to,
• if your pass is not fully completed,
• if your pass is missing any information,
• in all cases specified in the point “Fine” in the valid Terms and Conditions.

In addition to the fine, the cost of the ticket also has to be paid for your entire journey. If it is impossible to determine the boarding or target station, you will be fined for and will have to purchase a ticket for the entire bus line from its first to its last station, or from your boarding station to the last station on the route.

Fines:

• A fine of HUF 8,000 is payable by passengers

a) who violate the travel conditions in any other manner not specified, thus especially by boarding with any objects or animals not permitted by the Travel Conditions on buses as (or in) hand baggage or luggage,

b) who soil the bus with their baggage, clothing, or in any other manner.

c) who smoke in any location on the bus or at the station other than the designated smoking areas.

• In addition to the price of the ticket, a fine of HUF 8,000 is payable by passengers

a) who travel further than the distance for which the ticket, supplemental ticket, etc. is valid, unless the passenger voluntarily informs the driver of intending to continue the journey and purchases a ticket accordingly,

b) who attempt to travel without a ticket or with an invalid ticket, pass, or travel document, or fail to pay the supplementary fee for using a bus service for which a surcharge applies and/or the required seat reservation (did not purchase an additional ticket or a seat reservation), or, in the case of local routes, did not validate a pre-purchased ticket,

c) who receive a discount with an invalid (e.g. expired) document or certificate of entitlement,

d) who receive a travel discount despite of not being entitled to do so, or who are unable to prove their entitlement,

e) who use a falsified ticket or other travel entitlement,

f) who provide a registered ticket, pass, or other document or certificate entitlement for travel or discount to an unauthorised person or use such document owned by another person,

g) who hinder the inspection of tickets or refuse to disclose the personal data necessary for the ticket inspection, thus requiring official proceedings,

h) who use an invalid (e.g. expired) travel discount on a local bus route,

i) who board a local route with a dog without a valid ticket or pass (with the exception of dogs which can be transported free of charge).

• A fine of HUF 12,000 is payable by passengers
  • who fail to pay the fine within 30 days.
• A fine of HUF 1300 is payable by passengers
  • who present their ticket, pass, or discount entitlement subsequently.

The rules for fines on the (local) bus lines of certain cities may differ from the above (e.g. payment deadlines and the additional fee charged for late payment). More information is available on our website and in the Terms and Conditions.

Additional information is available here: ticket purchases

Please check the tickets and passes you purchase at ticket offices and at the bus driver immediately upon purchase. If you find any error in the ticket or pass you purchased, you can ask for a correction at the cashier or driver.

Unused tickets and passes can be returned for a refund only before the start of their validity. VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt will charge a handling fee as set out in its rules.

Please note that the various route districts are entitled to return only the tickets and passes purchased from their ticket offices, drivers, and ticket machines, so make sure to ask for a return at the location where you originally purchased the ticket.

You can return tickets purchased online at the following address: https://www.volanbusz.hu/hu/jegy-es-berlet/online-jegyvasarlas/visszavaltas In this case, the return is carried out by refunding the bank transaction.

The online ticket return application is available here.

The following page provides information on the costs of ticket returns: ticket prices

-          if the accident takes place when deboarding the bus and it is not possible to inform the bus driver, the report can be filed in person at any traffic office or by phone

Full-time and correspondence students are entitled to significant travel discounts in national, regional, suburban, and local public transport, which are available with a valid student ID or, in absence of a student ID, a certificate issued by the student’s education institution.

The full-time and evening students of primary, secondary, and higher education institutions are entitled to a 50 % ticket on any route section upon presentation of a valid Hungarian student ID or a certificate issued by the education institution, and are entitled to passes with a 90 % discount between their homes/places of residence and the educational institution.

Correspondence students with valid Hungarian student IDs are entitled to tickets with a 50 % discount between their homes/places of residence and the education institution.
Correspondence students are not entitled to discount passes.

Students with valid student IDs issues by the education institutions of the European Economic Area and Switzerland are entitled to tickets with a 50 % discount.

 An intercity additional ticket has to be purchased for all passengers over the age of 3 (except by passengers with passes) on national bus lines subject to a surcharge. The discount specified by law does not apply to the price of the intercity additional ticket.

As regards local public transport, the students attending a full-time or evening program at a primary, secondary, or higher education institution are entitled to purchase student passes for local routes in any settlement.

Full-time and evening students with valid student IDs issued by any Member States of the EU or the EEA or by Switzerland are entitled to purchase student monthly passes for local transport.

A valid student ID (or a certificate substituting the student ID) is required for travelling with the discount ticket or pass.

Old type of Hungarian student ID

New type of Hungarian student ID

VOLÁNstudent certificate

An international student ID (e.g. ISIC) does not provide entitlement to a travel discount, and students with valid student IDs issues by the education institutions of the European Economic Area and Switzerland are only entitled to purchase discount tickets.

Even without a sticker, the Hungarian student IDs of students under the mandatory school age are valid until 31 October of the year following the school year in which they reach the mandatory school age.

In the public education system, the Hungarian student IDs of students above the mandatory school age are validated every school year (or, in the case of higher education, every semester) with a hologram sticker. Student IDs validated by the education institution are valid until 31 October every school year in primary and secondary education and until 31 March in the spring semester and 31 October in the autumn semester in higher education.

Education institutions may issue the serial-numbered certificate specified in the Annex to Government Decree 362/2011 of 30 December (valid for 60 days) to students entitled to student IDs even without ordering a permanent student ID, if the permanent student ID is not available for any reason or it does not include the actual location of education or practical training.

Sample certificate providing proof of entitlement for a travel discount
(Annex to Government Decree 362/2011 of 30 December)

Only the serial-numbered, original copy of the certificate specified by the Annex to the Government Decree ensures entitlement to the travel discount, and only for the validity period included therein.

Additional useful information is available here:http://www.diakigazolvany.hu/

Full-time and evening students are entitled to the student discount for passes. Correspondence students are not entitled to purchase discount passes.

Eligibility can be certified with a valid Hungarian student ID, and the discount is available between the student’s home address or place of residence and the education institution and/or the place of practical training.

In the case of new types of student IDs or a certificate issued instead of a student ID, the education ID and the student’s name have to be entered on the student pass before starting the journey.

Please note that neither international student IDs nor student IDs issued by other countries entitle students to purchase a discount pass.

At the start of the school year, students starting school have to obtain a certificate issued by the education institution until they receive their permanent student IDs.

If the journey has not changed, students switching schools may use their previous student IDs until the end of its validity (i.e. 31 March or 31 October); however, if the journey also changes, they have to apply for a certificate until they receive their new student IDs.

The certificate includes the student’s education ID (OM identification number). The certificates are validated by writing this OM ID on the pass and the journey certificate.

Sample certificate providing proof of entitlement for a travel discount

The certificate is valid when presented together with the personal identification document necessary for checking eligibility (i.e. personal identification card, passport, driver’s license, or old student ID). Primary school students as yet unable to provide proof of identity with photo IDs are exempt from under identity checks.

Additional useful information is available here:http://www.diakigazolvany.hu/

Students have to prove their eligibility for travel discounts on routes other than that indicated on the student ID with a certificate issued by the school. The travel discount is available with a pass purchased for the kilometre-based zone according to the new route (and, depending on the area, a certificate thereof).

Sample certificate providing proof of entitlement for a travel discount

This is only permitted if the journey between the addresses indicated on the student ID takes place with more than one method transport (i.e. bus and rail). For example, if you travel the first part of your journey by rail and then continue your trip by bus, you have to present your ticket/pass purchased for the train.

Please note that when purchasing tickets, correspondence students always have to present the ticket that proves the combined travel method between the home address/place of residence and the school/practical training location. For example, if you travelled part of the trip by train, you have to present your train ticket when buying a bus ticket and vice versa.

Our cashiers can issue a “certificate for the discounted travel of students” for combined methods of travel, which can be used to record the used transport methods (e.g. bus from A to B and train from B to C).

Ticket inspectors may not confiscate student IDs, but will issue a fine if the ID is invalid. Damaged student IDs (where the data necessary for identification are not visible or are only legible in part) will not be accepted for providing subsequent proof of entitlement.

Persons with disabilities and large families are entitled to a 90 % discount, while invalids of war, war widows, and refugees are entitled to travel free of charge on national, regional, and suburban bus lines.

The following page provides information on the detailed discounts and the documents necessary for eligibility: ticket prices

Please note that an intercity additional ticket has to be purchased for all passengers over the age of 3 (except by passengers with passes) on national bus lines subject to a surcharge. The discount specified by law does not apply to the price of the intercity additional ticket.

Chaperones of persons with disabilities are entitled to a 90 % discount and the chaperones of invalids of war specified in the military certificate are entitled to travel free of charge on national, regional, and suburban bus lines.

Detailed information is available here: ticket purchases

You can bring no more than 10 kg on the bus as hand baggage and no more than 2 pieces of baggage as luggage.

To avoid disturbing other passengers, we ask that you have the driver place large items of luggage or a greater than usual number of items in the bus luggage compartment.

Information on our baggage fairs is available here: ticket prices

The fees payable for travelling and for the baggage include baggage insurance. Additional information on settling claims for damaged baggage is available here:
travel insurance

Only foldable bicycles can be taken on buses, and they must be place in the luggage compartment as baggage.

Bicycles may only be transported on the suitable buses, which is separately indicated on the buses in question.

Live animals can only be transported on buses in closed carriers that do not exceed the size of hand baggage and that ensure that the animal cannot escape during the trip. Live animals can only be taken on the international routes included in the Notice (www.volanbusz.hu/).

Poultry and birds can be transported in carriers (boxes, crates, etc.) that meet the conditions of point 10.1 and that prevent any pollution from dirtying the bus.

One dog, leashed and muzzled, may be transported without an enclosed carrier per bus. A ticket corresponding to the distance travelled has to be purchased for the dog. When transporting a dog, the passenger has to have the dog’s vaccination records or passport available.

 Assistance dogs (e.g. guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, hearing dogs, medical alert dogs, and psychiatric service dogs) and dogs performing official tasks may be transported on buses free of charge and without muzzles.

VOLÁNmaintains the right to restrict the carriage of live animals. The carrier of the animal shall be held liable for all damages caused.

Additional information on the conditions and fees of transporting live animals is available here: ticket prices, travel conditions

Tickets can be purchased online for certain VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt. national lines, available at the Online ticket purchases page on the company’s website. In the case of buses leaving Budapest, tickets can be purchased online no later than 20 minutes before departure.

The Official Bus Schedule helps in selecting the exact stops. Use the site to make your purchase easier!

Online domestic ticket sales

Please note that tickets purchased online for domestic routes can be cancelled only before the departure of the given bus. A handling fee is charged for returns.

The following page can be used for returns:

https://www.volanbusz.hu/hu/jegy-es-berlet/online-jegyvasarlas/visszavaltas

Please note the bank where you keep your account manages the actual payment (bank transaction) for the ticket. If the purchase is unsuccessful but you receive a notice that your bank has locked the amount in question, please contact your bank for a refund.

If you do not receive an email from the system confirming your purchase or encounter any other problems, please contact us at internetes@volanbusz.hu. Please be sure to include your contact information.

In the case of certain bus routes leaving Budapest, tickets can be purchased from the Népliget Bus Station, the Buda side of Petőfi Bridge, Bocskaiút, and Sasadiút.

When travelling to Budapest, tickets can be purchased from all stations provided by the system.

If you have any questions, please contact us at any of the customer service contact points provided on the VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt. website.

Domestic tickets purchased on the VOLÁNBUSZ Zrt website can be presented on paper (tickets received via email can be printed at home or by ticket offices) or by a mobile device capable of displaying the ticket in a clearly legible manner (e.g. smartphone, tablet, laptop).

Please note that if the mobile device is technically unsuitable for presenting the ticket for the purposes of inspection (e.g. the battery dies, is faulty, etc.) or the passenger is unable to clearly display the ticket(s), the Service Provider will assume that the passenger is travelling without a valid travel document and may be charged (again) for the ticket(s) and a fee.

Please note that tickets purchased online for domestic routes can be cancelled only before the departure of the given bus. A handling fee is charged for returns.The ticket and the completed application are necessary for the return. You can submit the application and the ticket in person at any of the company’s ticket offices and you can also start the refund process at the following points of contact:

www.volanbusz.hu/hu/jegy-es-berlet/jegyvasarlas/online-jegyvasarlas/menetjegy-visszavaltasa/

VISA and Mastercard embossed cards, and certain VISA Electron and V Pay cards. The online use of VISA Electron cards depends on the bank issuing the card. The VISA Electron bank cards issued by CIB can be used for online purchases.

Tickets can be purchased with all VISA and Mastercard/Maestro cards licensed by the bank that issued the card for online payment and online cards used specifically for online purchases.

Online purchases cannot be made with loyalty cards issued by other merchants and service providers for collecting loyalty points.

Tickets can be purchased with any Mastercard or Visa based co-branded card that can be used for online purchases.

After selecting the bank card payment method on the merchant’s/service provider’s website to initiate payment, customers are redirected to the Bank’s payment page via a secure communications channel. The card number, expiration, and the 3-digit verification code on the signature strip on the back of the card have to be entered to provide payment. After you start the transaction, the card goes through a real-time authorisation process, which checks the authenticity of the card data, the cover available, and the spending limit. If all data required for continuing the transaction are correct, the bank of the account holder (card issuer) locks the payable amount on the account. The amount is debited to (deducted from) the account after a couple of days, depending on the account holding bank.

There is difference between transactions where the card is present (Card Present) and those where the card is absent (Card not Present). Card Present transactions take place with the help of POS terminal devices. After the card is scanned and the PIN code is entered, the terminal contacts the cardholder’s bank via the authorisation centre and, depending on the type and issuer of the card, the VISA or Mastercard network. The next step includes checking validity and coverage (authorisation). Heading backwards along the above path, the POS terminal (i.e. the merchant) receives approval or rejection. The customer signs the receipt. In Card not Present transactions, the bank card is not physically present when the transaction takes place. These include transactions conducted by mail, phone, or electronically (over the internet), where the customer (cardholder) launches the transaction by entering the card data on a secure payment site (with 256-bit encryption). The customer receives a licence number for the successful transaction, which is identical to the number on the hard copy receipt.

Immediately after the bank is informed of the transaction, a reservation (lock) is made, as the official data have to be received for the actual debiting, which takes a couple of days, during which the locked amount could be spent again. That is why the reservation is used to set aside and reserve the allocated amount. The locked amount is included in the account balance, i.e. you receive interest for it, but it cannot be spent again. The reservation ensures that any transactions for which there would be no cover are rejected even though the account balance would in theory provide a possibility.

A payment order will generally be unsuccessful if it is not accepted by the bank issuing the card (which provided the card to the customer), but when the payment is made via a bank card, a telecommunications or IT error may also have prevented the request from reaching the bank that issued the card.

Card error

• The card cannot be used for online purchases.
• The account provider bank has prohibited the online use of the card.
• The use of the card has been blocked.
• The card data were entered incorrectly (card number, expiration date, and/or verification code).
• The card has expired.

Account error

• The funds on the account are insufficient for the transaction.
• The amount of the transaction exceeds the card’s spending limit.

Connection error

• The connection was probably interrupted during the transaction. Please try again.
• The transaction failed due to a time-out. Please try again.

Technical error

• The transaction is unsuccessful if you are not returned from the payment page to the merchant/service provider site.
• If you use the “back,” “reload,” or “refresh” pages after you are redirected from the payment page, the system will automatically reject the transaction for security reasons.

A transaction identifier is created for each transaction, which we recommend that you write down. If you are rejected from the bank during the payment process, please contact your account provider bank.

When checking the card, the account provider (card issuer) bank notifies the bank of the merchant (the acquiring bank) collecting the amount about whether the transaction can be performed or not. The acquiring bank cannot disclose confidential information to the customers of other banks; only the bank that identifies the cardholder has the right to do so.

This can occur if the card is verified on the payment page but you did not return to the merchant’s/service provider’s website. In this case, the transaction qualifies as not having been completed and is therefore automatically unsuccessful. The amount is not debited to the card and the reserved amount will be released.

TLS is the abbreviation of Transport Layer Security, an approved encryption process. CIB Bank has a 256-bit encryption key used to protect the communication channel. The company called VeriSign makes it possible to use CIB Bank’s 256-bit key, which is used to provide TLS-based encryption. Currently, 90 % of e-commerce in the world uses this encryption method. The customer’s browser uses TLS to encrypt the cardholder’s data before sending it, meaning they are sent to CIB Bank in an encrypted format and can therefore not be interpreted by unauthorised persons.

Yes, entirely. The payment takes place via a 256-bit encrypted communication channel, meaning you are entirely safe. After the transaction, you are returned to the merchant’s website. If the merchant’s website is not encrypted, your website warns you that you have left the encrypted channel. This does not pose a threat to the security of the payment.

Your bank card contains a verification code called a Card Verification Code by Mastercard and a Card Verification Value by Visa, which is an encoded numerical value that helps determine the veracity of a card. The CVC2 code, which is the last three digits on the back of the list of digits on Mastercard/Maestro cards, has to be entered when making online purchases.

In the Verified by Visa system, registered Visa users select a password at their card issuing banks. They then use the password to identify themselves when making online purchases as a means of protection against the unauthorised use of Visa cards. CIB Bank accepts cards issued in the Verified by Visa system.

In the MastercardSecureCode system, registered Mastercard/Maestro users select a password at their card issuing banks. They then use the password to identify themselves when making online purchases as a means of protection against the unauthorised use of Mastercard/Maestro cards. CIB Bank accepts cards issued in the MastercardSecureCode system.

If you have a Mastercard/Maestro card, you may have received a unique code from you card issuing bank. If you did not, leave this field blank.